Removable handle
A handle for opening and closing any door or drawer of a commercial or residential building is disclosed. The handle includes a first wall member joined to a second wall member that is attached to a third wall member to form a removable handle for opening and closing a door or drawer. At least one wall member is flexible and resilient such that when the handle is attached to a door or drawer, the first wall member flexibly and resiliently moves to form a self-tensioning, self-grip in conjunction with the remaining wall members on the door or drawer allowing the handle to be used to open and/or close a door or drawer.
The present application claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 12/335,580 filed on Dec. 16, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated by reference for all purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to handles, and more particularly to removable door and drawer handles for opening and closing cabinet doors, cabinet drawers, interior doors, entry/exit doors and/or otherwise for commercial and residential uses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCabinet doors, cabinet drawers, interior doors, entry/exit doors and/or otherwise are often manufactured without handles for purposes of allowing the purchaser the ability to select custom handles according to their desired taste. Therefore, it is likely that a purchaser may install and begin to use any doors, drawers, and/or otherwise without installing their respected handles. This may pose a problem for purchasers and builders who wish to make use of cabinet doors, cabinet drawers, interior doors, entry/exit doors and/or otherwise post installation but prior to attachment of any handle or other device allowing for use of the drawer or door. Prior to handle installation it may be extremely challenging to open and shut any door or drawer without damaging the door or drawer.
To remedy this issue, handles can be attached by adhesives. For example, one part of a door handle generally protrudes outwardly from the door for grasping and pulling open or closing the door, while the adhesive portion of the handle is adhesively bonded to a surface of the door. The adhesive attaching may minimize the possibility of marring the door, which is a concern by many cabinet owners when the handles are attached via fasteners, however, the adhesive attachment of the handle can be messy and may leave an adhesive residue on the surface of the cabinets, cabinet drawers, interior doors, entry/exit doors and/or otherwise once the handle is removed. Thus, there is a need for a removable handle that attaches to cabinet doors, cabinet drawers, interior doors, entry/exit doors and/or otherwise without the downsides of using adhesive as well as the damage and difficulty that may arise from the use of common fasteners (e.g. nails, screws, staples).
The invention solves this problem by providing a removable handle permitting the purchaser to easily install the removable handle without the use of additional tools such as screw drivers, drills, and the like or having to use adhesives, screws, nails, staples, or otherwise. Until the purchaser decides on permanent handles, the removable handles of this invention can aid the owner in the opening and closing of the cabinet doors, cabinet drawers, interior doors, entry/exit doors and/or otherwise. Alternatively, if the purchaser does not desire to purchase permanent handles, the removable handles may be utilized permanently to aid in the opening and closing of the cabinet doors, cabinet drawers, interior doors, entry/exit doors and/or otherwise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention meets some or all of the above-mentioned needs by providing a removable handle for opening and/or closing a door or drawer.
One aspect of the invention is directed towards a handle for opening and closing a door or drawer comprising: a first wall member having a curved c-shape so that the first wall member can be grasped during installation, removal, and use; a second wall member integral formed and extending from the first wall member, such that the second wall member intersects the first wall member at a location on the handle where the curvature of the first wall member ends; and a third wall member integrally formed with and extending substantially perpendicular from the second wall member so that the third wall member is located on the inside of a door or drawer during use and is of sufficient length to maintain the handle in a fixed location during use. The second and third wall members further comprise an outer surface opposite and parallel to an inner surface, and the second and third wall members are substantially planar in shape and extend generally downward from the second wall member. At least one wall member is generally flexible and resilient such that when the handle is attached to a door or a drawer the at least one wall member flexibly and resilient moves to form a self-grip in conjunction with the remaining wall members on a door or a drawer.
This aspect of the invention may be further characterized by one or any combination of the following: the second wall member includes a portion that extends toward the third wall member and a portion that extends away from the third wall member; the portion of the second wall member that extends away from the third wall member includes a tab that may be grasped during installation, removal and use of the handle; the handle does not fasten to a door or a drawer by an adhesive, screw, nail, or staple.
In another aspect, the present invention contemplates a method for opening a door or drawer having no installed handle comprising: providing a removable handle having a first wall member, a second wall member, and a third wall member; providing a curved c-shape portion as the first wall member integrally formed with and extending from the second wall member; grasping the c-shape portion; placing the handle onto an edge of a door or drawer such that a grip is formed between the first wall member, the second wall member, and the tab portion and maneuvering the door or drawer to a desired position.
This aspect of the invention may be further characterized by one or any combination of the following: the method does not include a step of fastening the handle to a door or a drawer via an adhesive, screw, nail, or staple; the handle is removed after the door or drawer is placed in the desired location; the handle is not removed after the door or drawer is placed in the desired location; the first wall portion is shaped to allow for grasping and pulling on the handle while preventing disengagement of the handle during use; the handle is adjustable to allow for doors and drawers of varying thicknesses; the handle includes: a first wall member having a curved c-shape so that the first wall member can be grasped during installation, removal, and use; a second wall member integral formed and extending from the first wall member, such that the second wall member intersects the first wall member at a location on the handle where the curvature of the first wall member ends; and a third wall member integrally formed with and extending substantially perpendicular from the second wall member so that the third wall member is located on the inside of a door or drawer during use and is of sufficient length to maintain the handle in a fixed location during use. The second and third wall members further comprise an outer surface opposite and parallel to an inner surface, and the second and third wall members are substantially planar in shape and extend generally downward from the second wall member. At least one wall member is generally flexible and resilient such that when the handle is attached to a door or a drawer the at least one wall member flexibly and resilient moves to form a self-grip in conjunction with the remaining wall members on a door or a drawer.
It should be appreciated that the above referenced aspects and examples are non-limiting as others exist with the present invention, as shown and described herein. For example, any of the above mentioned aspects or features of the invention may be combined to form other unique configurations of the finished block, as described herein, demonstrated in the drawings, or otherwise.
The features of the present invention shall become clear to those skilled in the art upon reading the attached detailed description along with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Referring to
The first wall member 20 includes an inner surface 22, and an outer surface 24. The first wall member 20 is flexible and resilient allowing movement of the first wall member 20 in relation to the third wall member 50. This allows the distance between the first wall member 20 and the third wall member 50 to increase at certain points when the handle 10 is attached to a cabinet door 60 as shown in
The handle 10 further may include a second wall member 30 having an outer surface 32, an inner surface 34, a first end 36, and a second end 38. The second wall member 30 is substantially planar in shape, and is integrally formed and joined to the first wall member 20. The second wall member 30 may further include a tab 40 that protrudes from the second end 38 for grasping, and maneuvering the cabinet door 60 open or closed. It should be appreciated by one skilled in the art, that the substantially planar shape of the second wall member 30 may also contain indicia (e.g. manufacturer name etc.) on the outer surface 32 of the second wall member 30 as shown in
The handle 10 further includes a third wall member 50. The third wall member 50 may be generally perpendicular to the second wall member 30. The third wall member 50 may also be generally parallel to the first wall member 20. The third wall member 50 may be integrally formed and joined to the second wall member 30.
Referring to
In
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As shown (for example) in
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During use, the handle may be attached to a drawer, door, or other generally planar surface requiring a movement aid so that the curved first wall member 20 is located where it can be grasped during use of the handle. The terminating end 71 of the first wall member may be in contact with the door, drawer, or other surface. The handle may also be shaped so that the terminating end 71 of the first wall member is not in contact with the door, drawer, or other surface. The first wall member may be in contact with a door, drawer, or other surface at any point prior to the terminating end of the first wall member. The location on the first wall surface at which a door, drawer or other surface contacts the first wall surface may be determinative of how flexible the first wall member may be once in use.
The first wall member 20 may be flexible and resilient allowing movement of the first wall member 20 in relation to the third wall member 50. The third wall member 50 may be flexible and resilient allowing movement of the third wall member 50 in relation to the first wall member 20. Both the first and third wall members may be flexible and resilient to allow for the handle to fit a grasp a wide range of door, drawer, or other surface widths. Only one of the first or third wall members may be flexible and resilient so that the handle is rigid enough to prevent unwanted slippage about or off of a door, drawer or other surface. The second wall member may also be flexible and resilient to allow for further expansion of the handle.
Referring to
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As shown (for example) in
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The wall members may all be of the same thickness, or the wall members may be of varying thicknesses. The wall members may be sufficiently thick so as to provide enough rigidity and strength to hold the handle in place on a door, drawer or other surface when in use. The wall members may also have a thickness that allows for sufficient flexibility so that the handle can be placed onto doors, drawers, and other surfaces of varying dimensions. The thickness of the wall members may be at least about 0.2 mm. The thickness of the wall member may be at least about 1.0 mm. Preferably, the thickness of the wall member may be at least about 1.5 mm. The length of each wall member may vary according to the dimensions of the surface that the handle will be placed upon during use. The length of each wall member may be at least about 8 mm. The length of each wall member may be at least about 20 mm. As shown in
The dimensions of the handle may depend on the material composition of the handle. For example, a more flexible or brittle material may require additional thickness to provide the requisite rigidity for the handle. A more stiff material may require less thickness to allow for requisite flexibility.
The handle may be manufactured using a variety of materials and methods. The handle may include multiple materials or may be manufactured using one material. The material may include plastic, metal, fibrous material or any material that will not damage a drawer or door surface. The materials can be processed by injection molding (e.g., overmolding or two-shot injection molding), extrusion, compression molding or similar processing methods. The processing steps may produce a smooth surface or a rigged surface. The processing steps may result in a multi-layer surface such that a substantially rigid surface may be coated with a rigged soft-touch surface.
Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the invention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Plural structural components can be provided by a single integrated structure. Alternatively, a single integrated structure might be divided into separate plural components. Similarly, specific features or components described in the different embodiments of the blocks may be used with other embodiments or may be combined with yet other features or components to form other embodiments. In addition, while a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed. A person of ordinary skill in the art would realize however, that certain modifications would come within the teachings of this invention. Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the invention.
Claims
1. A handle for opening and closing a door or drawer comprising:
- a first wall member having a c-shape so that the first wail member can be grasped during installation, removal, and use;
- a second wall member integral formed and extending from the first wall member, such that the second wall member intersects the first wall member at a location on the handle where the curvature of the first wall member ends;
- a third wall member attached to and extending substantially perpendicular from the second wall member so that the third wall member is located on the inside of a door or drawer during use and is of sufficient length to maintain the handle in a fixed location during use;
- wherein at least one wall member is generally flexible and resilient such that when the handle is attached to a door or a drawer the at least one wall member flexibly and resilient moves to form a self-grip in conjunction with the remaining wall members on a door or a drawer; and
- wherein the handle is substantially free of any wall intermediate the first wall member and the third wall member.
2. The handle of claim 1, wherein the second wall member further comprises an outer surface opposite and parallel to an inner surface, and the second wall member is substantially planar in shape.
3. The handle of claim 1, wherein the third wall member further comprises an outer surface opposite and parallel to an inner surface, and the third wall member is substantially planar in shape.
4. The handle of claim 1, wherein the third wall member is integrally formed with the second wall member.
5. The handle of claim 1, wherein the third wall members extend generally downward from the second wall member, each having a lowest downward location.
6. The handle of claim 5, wherein the lowest downward location of the third wall member does not extend downward beyond the lowest downward location of the first wall member.
7. The handle of claim 1, wherein the handle comprises a non-marring material.
8. The handle of claim 1, wherein the handle does not fasten to a door or a drawer by an adhesive, screw, nail, or staple.
9. The handle of claim 1, wherein the first wall member makes contact with a door or drawer at a point prior to a terminating end of the first wall member preventing the terminating end of the first wall member from coming into contact with the door or drawer.
10. A handle for opening and closing a door or drawer comprising:
- a first wall member having a curved c-shape so that the first wall member can be grasped during installation, removal, and use;
- a second wall member integral formed and extending from the first wall member, such that the second wall member intersects the first wall member at a location on the handle where the curvature of the first wall member ends;
- a third wall member integrally formed with and extending substantially perpendicular from the second wall member so that the third wall member is located on the inside of a door or drawer during use and is of sufficient length to maintain the handle in a fixed location during use;
- wherein the first wall member acts as both a gripping surface during use and also directly contacts an exterior of a door or drawer during use; and
- wherein at least one wall member is generally flexible and resilient such that when the handle is attached to a door or a drawer the at least one wall member flexibly and resilient moves to form a self-grip in conjunction with the remaining wall members on a door or a drawer.
11. The handle of clam 10, wherein the second wall member includes a portion that extends toward the third wall member and a portion that extends away from the third wall member.
12. The handle of claim 10, wherein said handle does not fasten to a door or a drawer by an adhesive, screw, nail, or staple.
13. The handle of claim 10, wherein the first wall member makes contact with a door or drawer at a point prior to a terminating end of the first wall member preventing the terminating end of the first wall member from coming into contact with the door or drawer.
14. The handle of claim 10, wherein, the handle is substantially free of any wall intermediate the first wall member and the third wall member.
Type: Grant
Filed: Aug 6, 2009
Date of Patent: Feb 5, 2013
Patent Publication Number: 20100146738
Inventors: Dana Louise Kunnath (Bloomfield Hills, MI), Glenn Kunnath (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
Primary Examiner: Roberta Delisle
Application Number: 12/536,528
International Classification: A47B 95/02 (20060101);